Intermediates secure Munster final spot

Clare   2-19

Cork   0-14

Despite some difficulty in getting a panel together because of clashes with club games and, in some cases, a lack of interest on the part of players, Clare qualified for the Munster intermediate hurling final when they deservingly beat a fancied Cork outfit at Pairc na nGael in Limerick on Sunday.

With a good mix of youth and experience, Clare dictated the play and were never headed. They were four points clear after 10 minutes but when Cork fought back to level at the start of the second quarter, there was concern that they might pull away.
After all, they had the benefit of a first-round outing in which they beat Tipperary.
Clare kept their noses in front until the three-quarter stage, when the game’s opening goal gave them a big lift and when they added a second goal six minutes later, there was no way back for the Leesiders. The result means Clare will play Limerick in the final on Wednesday, July 13.
Clare took the lead twice in the early minutes through Pádraig Hickey and Ronan Keane but, each time, Cork equalised. Between the seventh and the 11th minutes Clare had four unanswered points, helped by their dominance at midfield.
Any thoughts amongst Clare supporters that their side were about to pull away were quickly killed as Cork responded with three points in two minutes on their way to drawing level at 0-7 each in the 17th minute.
Significantly however, they never managed to take the lead and a superb Shane Golden effort gave Clare back the lead before Niall Gilligan opened his account in the 22nd minute from a long-range free. He repeated the feat three minutes later, putting his side three clear again. Cork finished the half with two points to trail by the minimum at half-time, when the score stood at 0-10 to 0-9.
When Clare returned for the second half, Michael Hawes was at centre-back, with John Fennessy in the side at left-half-back while up front, Tulla’s Aidan Lynch was at corner-forward.
As happened at the start of the first half, points were exchanged twice in the first five minutes. Each side added two more, leaving Clare still one in front at the three-quarter stage.
Niall Gilligan then struck a decisive blow when he broke through for the game’s opening goal to put Clare four clear. Cork responded impressively but were denied a goal when Andrew Fahy made an excellent save three minutes later. Nine minutes from time, Daire Keane put Clare in a very strong position when he fired home their second goal. Again, Cork hit back but a goal from substitute Maurice O’Sullivan was disallowed for a square infringement. Fahy made two more excellent saves before Clare finished with points from substitutes Declan O’Rourke and Aidan Lynch and from Keane and Gilligan to seal an impressive victory.
Clarecastle’s Patrick Kelly turned in a powerful performance at full-back in front of a very impressive goalkeeper in Andrew Fahy. Michael Hawes, especially when he went to centre-back, and Kevin Moynihan also did well in defence. Shane Golden and Ronan Keane ruled the midfield exchanges throughout while up front Daire Keane, Tony Carmody and Niall Gilligan were the main score getters.

Clare: Andrew Fahy (Whitegate); Marty O’Regan (St Joseph’s), Patrick Kelly (Clarecastle), Alan Brigdale (Crusheen); Michael Hawes (Cratloe), Conor Earley (Tubber), Kevin Moynihan (Éire Óg); Ronan Keane (Éire Óg), Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge); Daire Keane (Kilmaley), Tony Carmody (Sixmilebridge, capt), Kevin Dilleen (St Joseph’s); Martin Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Niall Gilligan (Sixmilebridge), Pádraig Hickey (Broadford).
Subs: Aidan Lynch (Tulla) for Dilleen (half time); John Fennessy (Sixmilebridge) for Earley (half-time); Joe O’Connor (Parteen) for Hickey (47 minutes) and Declan O’Rourke (Wolfe Tones) for Duggan (56 minutes).
Scorers: Niall Gilligan (1-5, 0-5f); Daire Keane (1-2); Tony Carmody, Ronan Keane (0-3) each; Pádraig Hickey (0-2); Kevin Moynihan, Shane Golden, Declan O’Rourke, Aidan Lynch (0-1) each.
Frees: 10; Wides: 9

Cork: Darren McCarthy; John Carey, Eoin Dillon, Seamus Corry; Tadhg Healy, Mark Ellis, Kevin Hartnett; Ross Cashman, Maurice Sexton; Brian Corry, Michael O’Sullivan, Colm Casey; David Drake, Eoin Conway, Eamonn Brosnan.
Subs: Maurice O’Sullivan for Casey (38 minutes); Seamus Harnedy for Conway (55 minutes).
Scorers: David Drake (0-4, 1lb); Maurice Sexton (all frees), Brian Corry (0-3) each; Eoin Conway (0-2), Eamonn Brosnan, Michael O’Sullivan (0-1) each.
Frees: 8; Wides: 12; 65s: 3
Referee: Shane Hourigan,
Limerick